In the twentieth century, the Christian population in Africa exploded from an estimated 9 million in 1900 (9%) to some 400 million in 2000 (45%); by 2025, Africa is estimated to have 633 million Christians. The center of gravity of Christianity has shifted from the West to Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University, writes in his book The Next Christendom, that in 20 years, two-thirds of all Christians will live elsewhere than in the West - in Africa, Latin America, or Asia.

Nigeria: fast facts - (Source: "Operation World" Patrick Johnson and Jason Mandryk 6th Edition 2001.)

Size: 358,000 sq. miles
Population: Officially, 138 million, but the UN estimates closer to 150 million. Population of Africa is 920 million. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. 1 in 6 Africans is Nigerian.

People: Very diverse in language, religion  and ethnically: Nearly 500 ethnic/linguistic groups. English is the official language. Other major languages are Yoruba, Hausa, Ibo, Fulfulde, Efik.

Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria, was built about 40 years ago with Nigerian oil dollars. Lagos, with 8 - 10 million people is the largest city and the major port. 

Economy: Rich in mineral and agricultural resources. Nigeria is the 6th. largest oil-producing nations in the world. A culture of corruption and mismanagement has hindered growth in a potentially very prosperous nation. As a people, Nigerians are dynamic and entrepreneurial.

Religion: Constitutionally Nigeria is a secular state. The population is almost evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. Religious affiliation is a politically sensitive issue. Census figures are sometimes manipulated by politicians for political advantage. Actual statistics of religious affiliation is difficult to verify, but the most recent census figures have been widely accepted. Adherents of traditional African religion s(animist) number about 10% of the population. (Animism from Latin anima, soul, life) is a religious belief that souls or spirits exist not only in humans, but also in animals, plants, geographic features, or other entities.

Religious divisions: The division between Muslim and Christian has often resulted in sectarian violence. Most outbreaks of violence occur along the fault line dividing the mainly Christian south from the Muslim north. An outbreak in 2008  in Jos, resulted in hundreds killed over a disputed local election.

The Muslim north. Of the 36 Federal states of Nigeria, 12 northern states have imposed the Sharia code of law. Sharia is the body of Islamic religious law, it is the legal framework which regulates the public and private aspects of life. Sharia is always referred to as "based upon the Koran" hence it is the "will of God." The imposition of Sharia has had negative implications for non-Muslims living in the North. (Traditional religions: 20%, Christian 12%)
Many Muslims in the north follow folk Islam, in which many ideas and practices from traditional African religion are incorporated into their understanding of Islam. Christianity is not immune from such syncretism.

Origins of the Church in West Africa. The earliest contact with Christianity in West Africa was from the Portuguese in the late 15th century. In the early 19th century Christian missionaries arrived and laid the foundation for the phenomenal growth in Christianity taking place in all of Africa today. In 1900 there was an estimated 9 million Christians in Africa, this number included the ancient Coptic churches of Egypt and Ethiopia. By 2000 Africa was estimated to have almost 400 million professed Christians.

Nigeria: Christians number about 60 million of all denominations. Such massive church growth has challenges. Widespread evangelism unaccompanied by follow-up and balanced teaching makes the task of building a biblically literate Church a challenge.

The Nigerian church suffers from the same denominational divisions. as the church in the west.  A growing second-generation nominalism  and a syncretistic Christianity are further challenges. (Syncretism is an attempt to reconcile and sometimes blend disparate or contrary beliefs and practices.)

Communal Violence: between 1991 and 2000 gangs of Muslim youths went on the rampage. Thousands of Christians died, pastors were murdered and hundreds of churches in Kaduna, Gombe, Sokoto, Kano, Bauchi and Zamfara were destroyed. Unfortunately, gangs of Christian youths engaged in revenge attacks, killing Muslims and burning Mosques. These challenges highlight the need for education. Outbreaks of violence still occur sporadically. 

Education: Due to the challenges facing the Church in Nigeria there is a desperate need for educating the youth of Nigeria. This is especially true in the north, where some historic and contemporary issues have inhibited education. Historically, Muslim leaders, especially the Imams discouraged Western education. This issue surfaced again in the summer of 2009 when an extreme Islamist sect known as 'Boko Haram' or 'No Education' attacked the police and government buildings. About 500 were killed in the riots that followed.

Contemporary problems hindering education in the north.
An ingrained culture of corruption and mismanagement has resulted in the uneven distribution of oil revenues for development.

Our Vision is to enter into a partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Gusau, for the purpose of building a co-educational primary-secondary school, which will provide a high quality education for young people from all backgrounds.

The goal is to prepare and equip a future generation of leaders. Ensureing that the education given at the school will be free of the religious and ethnic tensions that plague Nigerian society. The educational environment will foster understanding and co-operation among students of all backgrounds.